Chapter Summaries

While Ignat’s forces tightened their search for the missing participant in London, Fang Ran dreamed of his past and encountered a colossal being that had been waiting for him. He woke on a rooftop at the edge of London, still in hiding and in considerable pain.

• Fred reported that the target had left no trace in London, and Ignat ordered him to capture the target within a week while Ignat pursued other tasks.
• Fang Ran dreamed of falling into the Arctic Ocean as his powers and possessions drifted away from him.
• In a reflected space, Fang Ran watched visions of his changing life unfold in the water beneath his feet.
• A colossal being lowered its head toward Fang Ran and told him, “I have been waiting for you.”
• Fang Ran woke beneath a pile of tables and chairs on a London rooftop, struck his head on a table, and hurt his toe.

Fang Ran woke from a dream that seemed to continue a vision he had seen before, but hunger and poverty soon pushed the mystery aside. With only 56 pence left in London, he headed back toward the supermarket to find food and considered how to get by until nightfall.

• Fang Ran woke after smashing his forehead beneath a table and struggled to recall a dream about falling into an endless reflected space.
• He remembered the voice from his earlier dream saying, “I... am waiting for you,” but his hunger interrupted his thoughts.
• Fang Ran realized he had earned no money by helping anyone the previous night and had only 56 pence left.
• He recalled Su Qun’s summer training and wished Su Qun were there to advise him.
• Fang Ran drank the last of his water, climbed down from the rooftop unseen, and headed toward the supermarket.

Stranded and penniless in London, Fang Ran realized he had to wait for Shui Linlang to find him, but he still needed a way to survive until then. Tang Bing offered him a temporary cashier job at her supermarket, and he eagerly asked to meet the manager, Mrs. Isis.

• Fang Ran bought the cheapest bread at Tesco and asked Tang Bing what to do if someone got separated from their group abroad.
• Tang Bing told him to wait for help, prompting Fang Ran to realize that Shui Linlang would have to send someone to rescue him in London.
• Fang Ran lamented his lack of money, and Tang Bing asked how long he planned to stay and whether he wanted temporary supermarket work.
• Tang Bing explained that the supermarket needed a short-term cashier because an employee was injured and said Mrs. Isis, the supervisor, might hire Fang Ran.
• After Tang Bing mentioned the four-pound hourly wage, Fang Ran agreed and asked when they could meet Mrs. Isis.

Fang Ran agreed to help Tang Bing at her London supermarket for four pounds an hour, despite his poor English and uncertainty about working without identification. Mrs. Isis’s sudden phone call spared him an interview, and Tang Bing was left stunned by his apparent good luck.

• Fang Ran gave in to the temptation of four pounds an hour and agreed to help Tang Bing at the supermarket.
• Tang Bing tried to coach Fang Ran in English, but his terrible Chinglish left her convinced he could not handle a conversation with Mrs. Isis.
• Tang Bing introduced Fang Ran to Mrs. Isis and showed her his university information as proof that he was a student from Huaxia.
• Mrs. Isis received an urgent phone call before questioning Fang Ran and told him to start his shift at five that evening.
• Tang Bing wondered whether Fang Ran was a Lucky Person, and he admitted his luck had seemed unusually good lately.

Fang Ran and Tang Bing worked the evening rush at a London supermarket, where Fang Ran’s quick calculations and clumsy cashier English helped him handle customers. When a demanding shopper arrived, he switched places with Tang Bing and left her to manage the requests.

• Fang Ran and Tang Bing checked out customers during the supermarket’s evening rush in Stratford District.
• Fang Ran learned that his simple cashier phrases were easier to use than he had expected, though he still struggled to understand fast or complicated English.
• Fang Ran noticed that customers often took a long time to count their change, while his quick calculations kept his checkout line moving.
• A demanding older woman listed how she wanted her groceries separated, so Fang Ran asked Tang Bing to switch sides and handle her.
• Tang Bing hurried to pack the woman’s groceries as Fang Ran encouraged her with the phrase “give her some color see see.”

During a quiet shift at the supermarket, Fang Ran asked Tang Bing about her plans and her famously bad luck. Their conversation about her love of English and why she chose it over Japanese left them joking about how relatives might react to her studying Japanese.

• Fang Ran asked Tang Bing what she would do if stranded abroad without money, and she answered that she would go to the consulate.
• Tang Bing told Fang Ran she had come to London as an exchange student because she hoped to become an interpreter and loved English.
• Fang Ran asked whether Tang Bing really had bad luck, and she listed everyday mishaps, including always plugging in USBs upside down on the first try.
• Tang Bing explained that she started liking English after seeing successful-looking people speak it in a lecture video, and admitted she also thought it could help her earn money.
• Fang Ran asked why she had not studied Japanese, and Tang Bing joked that relatives would mistake her answer for a dialect.

Fang Ran earned eight pounds helping Mrs. Isis at a London supermarket and enjoyed the company of Tang Bing, whose clumsy attempts to hide her love of Japanese pop culture amused him. Walking home through London, he reflected on how different life felt without his abilities and wondered what he wanted to become in the future.

• Fang Ran laughed at Tang Bing's exaggerated imitation and teased her after her phone revealed she was watching "Sherlock."
• Mrs. Isis asked Fang Ran his name, and he introduced himself as Vergil before accepting eight pounds for his work.
• Mrs. Isis called Vergil to help move goods, and Tang Bing joined them, astonished when Fang Ran handled the heavy items with ease.
• Fang Ran walked through London carrying cola and ham, pleased that he could afford a better dinner.
• Fang Ran compared his experience of London with Tokyo, considered how ordinary he felt without his abilities, and wondered what he wanted to become.

While working at a London supermarket, Fang Ran reminisced about the Beijing celebration and his feelings for his absent senior sister, then shared his prize coupon with Tang Bing. The two ended the chapter joking together during Fang Ran’s stay abroad.

• Fang Ran asked Tang Bing how an undocumented stowaway abroad could get home, and she suggested finding smugglers in a gray area.
• Tang Bing showed Fang Ran a video of Shui Lianxin’s performance, and Fang Ran remembered taking part in the celebration and thought about his senior sister.
• Tang Bing praised the mysterious black-coated figure in the performance footage, while Fang Ran recognized himself and learned about online rumors linking him to the All-City Hot Night finale.
• Fang Ran and Tang Bing used supermarket receipts for a prize draw, and Fang Ran won a 50% OFF coupon while Tang Bing received ten packs of tissues.
• Fang Ran offered his coupon to Tang Bing, who accepted it and teased him about trying to hit on her before happily claiming her first-prize win.

Fang Ran asked Tang Bing how a penniless fugitive in London could bathe and find cheap clothes, revealing the practical hardships of his five days wandering there. Tang Bing explained how costly rent and transportation were, leaving Fang Ran shocked by the price of a one-way fare.

• Fang Ran asked Tang Bing where a penniless person in London could bathe, and she said the bathhouse she knew was a gay venue in South London.
• Fang Ran asked Tang Bing about cheap clothes, and she enthusiastically listed discount stores and shopping strategies.
• Tang Bing said she was thin because she was poor and explained that her London rent alone exceeded six hundred pounds a month.
• Tang Bing told Fang Ran that rent also came with deposits and fees, and that commuting with an Oyster card was expensive.
• Tang Bing said a one-way adult fare between Zones One and Three cost 4.9, and Fang Ran realized the amount was in pounds.

Fang Ran used Tang Bing’s warnings about Brixton to lure muggers and earn money, then enjoyed a bath and massage before returning to work at the supermarket. As he reflected on how his time in London had changed him, a suited man told him that Madam had sent him to take Fang Ran home.

• Tang Bing complained about London’s costs and warned Fang Ran to avoid Brixton at night, prompting him to ask about the price of a massage.
• Fang Ran went to Brixton, baited two muggers, and knocked them unconscious to take their money.
• Fang Ran treated himself to new clothes, a bath, and a massage, and felt pleased with his newfound income.
• While working at the supermarket, Fang Ran reflected on how he had become less afraid of dangerous people.
• A suited customer told Fang Ran that Madam had asked him to take Fang Ran home.

Fang Ran learned that someone had come to take him back, but he asked for time to finish something before leaving. He took Tang Bing out for a meal to thank her, leaving with her through the streets of London.

• A man told Fang Ran that he had come to take him back, and Fang Ran asked him to wait until after dark.
• Fang Ran told Tang Bing that someone had come to bail him out, then invited her for a walk after work.
• Tang Bing nervously suspected Fang Ran had improper intentions, but he explained that he wanted to treat her to a meal before leaving.
• Tang Bing chose a nearby restaurant, and Fang Ran followed her through London's streets and alleys.

Fang Ran and Tang Bing shared a farewell dinner in London, where their playful conversation revealed how much they valued one another. After saying goodbye, Fang Ran left in a Bentley, returning to the real world as night fell.

• Fang Ran ordered a feast at Tang Bing's chosen restaurant and ate nearly every dish while she watched in amazement.
• Fang Ran and Tang Bing argued over the bill until she used a 50% OFF coupon, making him laugh.
• Tang Bing learned Fang Ran was leaving that night and realized they might not meet again until she finished studying abroad.
• Fang Ran told Tang Bing she had helped him more than she knew, then said goodbye and left in a black Bentley.
• Fang Ran removed his hood in the car, looked at the darkening sky, and told the driver to go.

On the sixth night in London, Fang Ran tried to escape the lockdown with help from Sun Shanhai, but armed pursuers caught up with them. As gunfire struck their car, Fang Ran faced the danger of death while still powerless.

• Sun Shanhai told Fang Ran that London was locked down, the Night Bureau members were missing, and Li Ze was holding down the fort.
• Sun Shanhai drove Fang Ran toward a Thames estuary, where a speedboat would take him to a cruise ship bound for Ostend.
• A car followed the Bentley, and Sun Shanhai evaded it before another black sedan blocked their way at an intersection.
• Sun Shanhai swerved onto an off-ramp, but the pursuing cars caught up and opened fire on the Bentley.
• Fang Ran realized he could not summon Gluttony and felt the genuine threat of death as bullets struck the car.

Fang Ran chose to remain in London instead of returning to Huaxia, confronting a pursuing Participant despite having lost his abilities. When the enemy attacked, Fang Ran summoned Gluttony and prepared to fight as the Demon King.

• Fang Ran and Sun Shanhai escaped gunmen in a Bentley, and Fang Ran jumped onto a pursuing sedan and wrecked it to stop the chase.
• Fang Ran argued with the child in his mind about whether to return to Huaxia, then decided he still had things to do in Europe.
• Fang Ran contacted Shui Linlang, who warned him about the danger but told him there were no A-rank Participants currently in London and urged him to stay safe.
• A C-rank Participant arrived to investigate, and Fang Ran sent Sun Shanhai away before facing the newcomer alone.
• The C-rank Participant charged Fang Ran, who blocked the attack with Moon God Hunt and summoned Gluttony.

Fang Ran captured a C-rank Participant at the Grace Nature Reserve and sought information about the enemy’s base, while Gluttony’s power drew the attention of forces across London. In Huaxia, the Demoness sensed her doll’s location and returned to her former homeland with her servants.

• Fang Ran summoned Gluttony, which swallowed the C-rank Participant and unleashed the Demoness’s aura across London.
• Fred sensed the power and ordered his team to gather at the manor, while Tang Bing left Mrs. Isis’s apartment on an errand and an injured young man in Greenwich decided to stay in bed.
• Fang Ran pulled the C-rank Participant partly out of Gluttony and demanded information about Huaxia before pushing him back inside.
• Sun Shanhai approached after the battle, and Fang Ran asked him to find the enemy’s base while saying he wanted answers.
• The Demoness sensed her doll’s location, then vanished from Huaxia with her maid and butler servants through a magic circle.

After surviving a car chase without his full abilities, Fang Ran chose to remain in London and infiltrate the manor where the people hunting him were based, seeking clues to rescue the Night Bureau. He launched his attack as the manor’s gang members mobilized to repel intruders.

• Fang Ran told Sun Shanhai he would stay in London to gather information and find a way to rescue the Night Bureau members trapped in the Simulation Scenario.
• Sun Shanhai gave Fang Ran spare Night Bureau operational gear, then left for Huaxia as Fang Ran headed toward the manor.
• Fred returned to the manor, ordered its forces to prepare for an intruder, and sent word for the others to meet him underground.
• Fang Ran climbed onto the manor’s iron fence, transformed Moon God Hunt into twin crescent blades, and rushed two gang members who had spotted him.

Fang Ran raided a guarded manor without his abilities, relying on his combat skills and Gluttony to reach Fred. After Fred struck him down, Fang Ran ordered Gluttony to eat him.

• Fang Ran silently took down two guards and charged through the manor as alarms brought the gangsters after him.
• Fang Ran dodged gunfire, broke through a second-floor window, and defeated the men guarding the central hall.
• Fang Ran intimidated the butler and the assembled gangsters by revealing Gluttony, then cleared the hall.
• Fang Ran had Gluttony smash through the floor and launched an attack on Fred below.
• Fred's barrier deflected Fang Ran's blades, and his powered punch broke Fang Ran's ribs.
• Fang Ran grabbed Fred's arm and ordered Gluttony to eat him.

Fang Ran killed Fred with Gluttony and searched the underground base for clues, discovering a strange sphere that seemed to contain a layer of space. With the base exhausted of useful leads, he decided to find a companion for the next mission objective, then noticed a glowing communications device among the rubble.

• Fang Ran used himself as bait to hold Fred close, and Gluttony swallowed the B-rank Participant despite his Railgun attack.
• Fang Ran surveyed the ruined underground base and concluded that Fred and the other pursuers likely belonged to the Royal Court faction led by Colossus.
• Fang Ran discovered a hidden room beneath the metal floor containing a nearly full black sphere, which he removed from its sealed container and took with him.
• Fang Ran found no useful clues in the laboratory and decided to find a companion to help lift the Simulation Scenario seal.
• Fang Ran spotted a mechanical communications cube glowing blue beside the rubble as he prepared to leave the manor.

After defeating Fred, Fang Ran found a glowing communication device and was pulled into a conference with five powerful participants. He revealed the Strange Sphere to gain leverage, then defiantly answered Dick’s threat with an insult.

• Fang Ran found an azure-glowing mechanical cube among the manor’s underground ruins and activated the conference channel.
• Five powerful participants appeared around Fang Ran, and Francis asked whether he had dealt with Fred.
• Fang Ran demanded that they speak Huaxia, and the Witch’s Hat woman recognized him as Fang Ran of the Night Bureau.
• Brianna questioned whether Fang Ran was secretly the Magician, and Fang Ran showed the Strange Sphere, drawing everyone’s attention.
• Dick threatened Fang Ran and ordered him to surrender the Strange Sphere, but Fang Ran answered with a scornful insult.

Fang Ran provoked Dick during a Night Web meeting, uncovered Dick’s connection to the Covenant, and fled the manor when three Participants approached. He hijacked a van to escape but discovered a bound girl in the back.

• Fang Ran taunted Dick during the projected meeting and fired at him, prompting Dick to leave after warning that he would remember Fang Ran.
• Fang Ran searched Night Web and found that Dick was a high-risk B-rank Participant and deputy to the Covenant’s Fourth Pillar.
• Fang Ran realized the Covenant was involved in the National War and sensed three Participants closing in on his location.
• Fang Ran fled the manor, stopped an incoming van with Moon God Hunt, and knocked out its driver.
• Fang Ran found a bound girl wearing a red Donald Duck jacket in the back of the van.